Table Printing in PHP - php

Question

I have a table showing the list of categories and subcategories, using a function to loop through the parent/child tree. Here is the markup of the script:
<table border="1" width="100%" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="2">
<tr class="dataTableHeadingRow">
<td class="dataTableHeadingContent"><?php echo TABLE_HEADING_PRODUCTS; ?></td>
<td class="dataTableHeadingContent" align="right"><?php echo TABLE_HEADING_TOTAL_WEIGHT; ?> </td>
</tr>
<tr class="dataTableRow">
<td class="dataTableContent">
<?php
function category_list( $category_parent_id = 0 )
{
// NOTE THE ADDITIION OF THE PARENT ID:
$sql = 'select cd.categories_name,c.categories_id, c.parent_id, c.sort_order from ' . TABLE_CATEGORIES . ' c, ' . TABLE_CATEGORIES_DESCRIPTION . ' cd where c.categories_id = cd.categories_id AND c.parent_id='.$category_parent_id;
$res = tep_db_query( $sql );
$cats = array();
while ( $cat = tep_db_fetch_array( $res ) )
{
$cats[] = $cat;
}
if (count($cats) == 0)
{
return '';
}
// populate a list items array
$list_items = array();
$list_items[] = '<ul>';
foreach ( $cats as $cat )
{
// open the list item
$list_items[] = '<li>';
// construct the category link
$list_items[] = $cat['categories_name'];
// recurse into the child list
$list_items[] = category_list( $cat['categories_id'] );
// close the list item
$list_items[] = '</li>';
}
$list_items[] = '</ul>';
// convert to a string
return implode( '', $list_items );
}
echo category_list();
?>
</td>
<td class="dataTableContent"></td>
</tr>
</table>
Instead of printing as a list all in one <td>, how would i print each list element in an individual <td>?

Answer 1

First, remove the php function from the <td> and place it right on top of your table/html.
Instead of echo category_list();, do $list = category_list();
Then within HTML, do this:
<tr class="dataTableRow">
<?php foreach( $list as $v) { ?>
<td class="dataTableContent"><?php echo $v; ?></td>
<?php } ?>
Latest Edit:
<table border="1" width="100%" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="2">
<tr class="dataTableHeadingRow">
<td class="dataTableHeadingContent"><?php echo TABLE_HEADING_PRODUCTS; ?></td>
<td class="dataTableHeadingContent" align="right"><?php echo TABLE_HEADING_TOTAL_WEIGHT; ?> </td>
</tr>
<tr class="dataTableRow"><ul> <!-- change #1 -->
<?php
function category_list( $category_parent_id = 0 )
{
// NOTE THE ADDITIION OF THE PARENT ID:
$sql = 'select cd.categories_name,c.categories_id, c.parent_id, c.sort_order from ' . TABLE_CATEGORIES . ' c, ' . TABLE_CATEGORIES_DESCRIPTION . ' cd where c.categories_id = cd.categories_id AND c.parent_id='.$category_parent_id;
$res = tep_db_query( $sql );
$cats = array();
while ( $cat = tep_db_fetch_array( $res ) )
{
$cats[] = $cat;
}
if (count($cats) == 0)
{
return '';
}
// populate a list items array
$list_items = array();
// $list_items[] = '<ul>'; Change #2
foreach ( $cats as $cat )
{
// open the list item
$list_items[] = '<td class="dataTableContent"><li>'; //Change #3
// construct the category link
$list_items[] = $cat['categories_name'];
// recurse into the child list
$list_items[] = category_list( $cat['categories_id'] );
// close the list item
$list_items[] = '</li></td>'; //Change #4
}
$list_items[] = '</ul></tr>'; //Change #5
// convert to a string
return implode( '', $list_items );
}
echo category_list();
?>
<!--remove </tr> change #6 -->
</table>

Answer 2

Here, I cleaned this up for you. In particular, each function should really only do one thing, so you can keep straight what it's doing. I also removed unnecessary mishegus about your list/implode thing. You're outputting a string, use a string!
<?php
/**
* Gets all categories for a particular parent id.
*/
function get_categories( $category_parent_id = 0 ) {
$sql = 'select cd.categories_name,c.categories_id, c.parent_id, c.sort_order'
.' from ' . TABLE_CATEGORIES . ' c, '
. TABLE_CATEGORIES_DESCRIPTION . ' cd '
.'where c.categories_id = cd.categories_id '
.'AND c.parent_id='.$category_parent_id;
$result = tep_db_query( $sql );//Really should use PDO
$categories = array();//Categories are not chased by dogs. Use full names for your variables!
while ( $category = tep_db_fetch_array( $result ) )
{
$categories[] = $category;
}
return $categories;
}
/**
* Outputs HTML for a list of categories, recursing into them if necessary for more data.
*/
function output_categories($categories, &$output = "") {
if (count($categories) == 0 || empty($categories)) { return; }//either works.
$output =. "<ul>";//change this to <tr> for a table row
foreach ($categories as $category) {
output =. "<li>";//change this to <td> for a table cell
$category['categories_name'];
output_categores(categories($category['categories_id']), $output);
output =. "</li>";//change to </td>
}
$output =. "</ul>";//change to </tr>
return;//Note that $output will be changed by this function.
}
%>
<table border="1" width="100%" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="2">
<tr class="dataTableHeadingRow">
<td class="dataTableHeadingContent"><?php echo TABLE_HEADING_PRODUCTS; ?></td>
<td class="dataTableHeadingContent" align="right"><?php echo TABLE_HEADING_TOTAL_WEIGHT; ?> </td>
</tr>
<tr class="dataTableRow">
<td class="dataTableContent">
<?php
echo output_categories(get_categories());
?>
</td>
<td class="dataTableContent"></td>
</tr>
</table>